


Beyond the Flare

by AntiquaDove



Category: The Maze Runner (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-14 16:56:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28798737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AntiquaDove/pseuds/AntiquaDove
Summary: Newt wakes up in the city beneath rubble and has to find his way back to Thomas and his friends. He's injured and cranks surround him. Will he be able to survive long enough to be rescued?(Originally posted by me on Fanfiction.net)
Relationships: Newt & Thomas (Maze Runner)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	1. I'll Find You

_ "Thank you for being my friend" –Newt. _

Thomas clenched his jaw as he read the final words of Newts letter, tears streaming down his cheeks. Taking a deep breath, he tenderly folded up the letter and returned it to the small silver capsule that was attached to the necklace. It had become a daily habit for him to read the letter ever since he'd watched his best friend die three weeks ago. Thomas blew out the candle that was next to his bed in the small hut and closed his eyes, trying his best to get some shut-eye.

_ Tommy! Kill me…please!  _ Thomas' eyes snapped open as the image flickered across his vision.

"Welp, guess I'm not getting any sleep tonight," Thomas murmured to himself. Swinging his legs over the edge of his bamboo bed, he padded over to the door and quietly pulled it open. Stars twinkled up above, framing a crescent moon. A flash of silver crossed his peripheral vision as a comet passed by. A surge of déjà vu swept through him and he let the memory of better times take him away…

_ "Look Tommy." Thomas turned his head slightly on the sand to look where Newt was pointing. A comet flew passed them in the night sky, only lasting a few seconds before it was out of sight. _

_ "I saw it." Thomas whispered. He didn't know why he whispered, everyone in their camp was still awake, but it just seemed appropriate to talk quiet. Thomas took in the sight of the blond haired boy next to him smiling up at the stars for a second before he blinked. Why am I staring? He thought. Shrugging off the feeling, he wiggled his shoulders to become more comfortable in the sand. _

_ "I wish Minho was here." Thomas' eyes flicked over to Newt and he nodded, even though he knew Newt couldn't see him, considering he was gazing at the stars. _

_ "Me too." Thomas said, turning his head to look at Newt again. _

_ "Once we get him back, the three of us will have plenty of time for star gazing," Newt said. Thomas could hear the smile on his words, although a lump formed in his throat. For some reason he wanted this time just to be for him and Newt. Thomas felt guilty at that thought and tried to shove it down. _

_ Thomas' heart beat just a tad faster as he felt Newts hand grasp his arm and point it up to the big dipper. _

_ "That was always Frypans favorite. He would always hold up his ladle to it to compare the two." Thomas could hear the grin in Newts voice. _

_ "Thomas." Thomas looked at Newt, frowning slightly at the absence of his nickname. Newt's mouth wasn't moving at all though. _

_ "Th _ omas." Thomas blinked as the memory washed away and Minho appeared in front of him.

"Thinking about him too?" He asked. Thomas nodded mutely at him, trying his best to blink back the tears that had started to form.

Thomas thanked Minho in his head for not asking any more questions. The silence around them was comfortable and it seemed like a crime to break it. The two boys looked up at the starry sky wondering how the hell they could move on.

The first thing that registered in Newts head was pain.  _ Bloody hell?  _ Newt attempted to blink the dust out of his eyes and look around. He started to slowly move each of his limbs to find out where the pain was coming from. Right arm? Fine. Left arm? A small cut, but that wasn't too bad. When he got to his left leg, he froze. It was broken. Again. Shit. Newt laid his head back down on the rubble with a groan. He patted himself over and felt a tear in his jacket.  _ The dagger.  _ Newt blinked as all of the memories rushed back to him.  _ Him attacking Thomas. Pleading with his best friend to kill him. And finally, stabbing himself. _

"How the hell am I alive?" Newt murmured, utterly confused. He turned his head slightly and noticed the huge concrete blocks and steel poles around him.

" _ Alright Newt, It's almost night time, you gotta get somewhere safe."  _ Newt heard Thomas' voice in his head, knowing exactly what he would say. He knew he had to get back to Thomas, no matter what.

Shoving the pain from his chest and leg down, he pulled himself up with a concrete block, trying his best to balance on his right side.  _ Well at least I have some practice with this. _ Newt thought, limping heavily forward through the rubble. It was very slow going, but he managed to make his way to a store before collapsing inside. He closed his eyes, with his hand over his chest and tried to piece together how he could possibly still be alive.

_ "Thomas, there's something about your blood." _

_ "You can save Newt." _

_ "That's why Brenda is still alive." _

"Bloody hell." Newt hissed. The knife he had stabbed himself with had Thomas' blood on it. It was nothing short of a miracle. Newt had been given a second chance and he would take it and run. Nothing would stop him from getting back to Thomas and the rest of his friends.

___________________________________________________________  
  


Thomas blinked against the sunlight streaming in through the small cracks in the wood on his hut. He sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He couldn't remember going back to bed last night, but he figured Minho had something to do with it.

The door to Thomas' hut swung open to reveal the dark haired man. Speak of the devil.

"Gally and Fry are setting up a scout team to go back to mainland to see if there are any survivors. I'm going with them and we want you to come too."

Thomas' head snapped up to Minho.  _ How could they ask me to go back to the place where my best friend died? There's no way I can go back there. _

Apparently all the thoughts that were going through Thomas' head showed on his face. Minho looked down at his feet.

"Thomas, I…I think it would be good for all of us to go back. I know you and Newt had something special, but I've Known him for a very long time. You're not the only one that lost him. I know that Newt would want us to go see if there are any survivors. That's the kind of person he was. You know that Thomas."

Thomas let out a shaky breath. He knew Minho was right. He knew he was. Newt was one of the most caring souls that he knew. It would hurt like hell to go back, but maybe. Just maybe it would help with healing. He gently rolled the silver capsule on his necklace through his fingers. Thomas nodded and looked up at Minho, with tears glistening in his eyes.

"Alright." He whispered. "When do we leave."

____________________________________________  
  


Although the supplies left in the store were meager, it was at least something. Newt hobbled over to the Pharmacy section and found a small bottle of Advil. He took them dry and glanced around, looking around to see if there were possibly any crutches.

"Bloody hell," Newt scoffed in shock. There leaning against one of the shelves of the store was a pair of crutches. At least something was going his way. Newt somewhat hopped over the crutches and adjusted them to match his height.

Now, back to the problem. Getting to Thomas. He figured that Thomas, Minho, Fry and the others had gone to the Safe Haven.  _ Well…assuming they survived _ . Newt gulped and shoved down that thought. Of course they survived, there was no doubt about it.

Newt inhaled a pack of crackers and gulped down a bottle of water that he found. He slumped down against the wall with a sigh and closed his eyes.

Bang. Newts eyes flew open at the noise and turned his head to the glass door that was the entrance to the store. There, with its face planted against the glass was a crank. Black blood dripped down from its mouth and streaked across the window. Newt froze in terror. That was almost what became of him. That was him. He attacked Thomas because he was a monster.

Slam. Newt was thrown out of his thoughts as the crank threw himself against the glass, trying to crack it. Newt frantically looked around for something he could use as a weapon. He didn't have a knife, gun or anything. Newt heaved himself up with his crutches, leaning heavily to his right side.

Slam. Newt saw the cracks begin to appear in the glass like spider webs. The cranks dead eyes stared harshly back at the blond boy. There was nothing left of the person who used to be there. Just the shell of the alive, breathing person of who used to inhabit the body.

Only a few more times of the crank throwing itself at the glass, it would break. Shit. Newt hobbled to the back of the store looking for a back way out. He knew that even if there was a back way out, there was no way he could get far enough away.

His heart in his throat, he frantically looked for a place to hide. There was only one place where it might work. He limped over to the pharmacy section and threw open all of the drawers looking for something to use as a weapon. In the far right drawer was a gun. Hallelujah.

Crack! Newt heard the glass to the door shatter and the horrible shriek of the crank as it lunged inside. As quietly as he could, Newt lowered himself below the desk, pulling his crutches next to him, with the gun clutched tightly in his hand. A memory started to tug at Newts mind and he succumbed to it, just to think of something better.

" _ Shhh." Newt looked over at Thomas and nodded mutely, trying to keep a look of determination on his face. The rock outcropping they were crouched in was small, and the boys faces were mere inches apart. There was no room for this to be awkward though, they had to survive this first. Newt felt Thomas' hand on his chest pushing him back a bit. Newts eyes caught Thomas' and they widened as a snarl was heard. A crank suddenly appeared in front of them and shrieked, reaching for Thomas. _

_ Newt raised his gun without hesitation and pulled the trigger. Click. Nothing happened. "Shit!" Newt gasped. It was jammed. _

_ "Tommy!" Newt cried as he saw the other boy struggling with the crank that was nearly on top of him. Newt felt the ground next to him, and his hand wrapped around a stone. He only had one shot at this. Newt swung his arm at the crank and the rock connected with the cranks head. There was a crack as the monsters skull split open and fell to the ground. _

_ Newt breathed heavily and offered his hand to Thomas. The brunette took the blonds hand, eyes wide, with a "thank you" on his lips. Newt held up his hand. "Sorry Tommy," Newt breathed. He reached down and grabbed the gun that had jammed. _

_ "Bloody thing jammed. My fault." He said guiltily. Newt felt a heavy hand on his should, shaking him violently. Confused, Newt looked over at Thomas. To his horror, his eyes were glazed over and black blood dripped from his chin. Hold on, this hadn't happened in the memory. _

Newt was pulled from his memory quite dramatically. The crank had found him and its mangled hand was tugging on his shoulder. Newt breathed in sharply. He flicked the gun up, cocked it, and pulled the trigger. Click. There was nothing.

"Shit! Not again!" Newt yelled. He scooted over to the right to avoid the swing of the cranks arm. Without another option, he grabbed his crutch and thrusted it at the head of the crank. The monster fell back a little, but began to get on its feet in a few seconds. It was enough time for Newt. He pulled himself from underneath the desk and stood up, ignoring the screaming pain from his brain.

Embracing the adrenaline rush, he shoved the end of the crutch into the cranks head again. Over and over and over again until the crank stopped twitching. Newt gasped in exhaustion and pain as he fell to the ground and lay his head on the carpeted floor. He rested his hand over his chest and turned his head to look under the desk.

A black object was against the wall. Frowning, Newt reached out his arm and grabbed the device.  _ No way. _ A smile graced Newts face for the first time in a long time This could give him a chance to get back to his family. It was a radio


	2. A familiar voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas hears a familiar voice on the radio. There's no way it could be Newt. He watched him die.

"You shanks ready to go?"

Asked Gally good naturedly. Thomas managed a small smile and nod of his head as he tossed his pack into the back of the truck. As he climbed in the backseat next to Minho, he couldn't help but think that Newt should be sitting here next to him. He took a deep breath and leaned his head against the window, still a bit sea sick from the boat trip they had taken to get to the mainland. Frypan started up the truck and they were off. Thomas glanced up at Gally, who was sitting in shotgun. He was fiddling with a radio, turning nobs back and forth and holding it up to his ear. Thomas turned his head to the side.

"What are you doin Gally?" He asked quietly. The older boy turned his head a bit to look back at him, eyebrows raised.

"Scanning the radio waves. Who knows, maybe someone's on here. May as well try." Came the deep answer.

Thomas nodded and resumed his position looking out the window. They were back in the scorch, and all he could see was yellow sand that looked wavy from the heat.

"Good to be back, ey Thomas?" Minho said, giving the younger boy a shove with his arm.

"Sure is," Thomas chuckled wryly.

"Guys…guys hey!" yelled Frypan, quickly getting everyone's attention. Thomas' eyes widened slightly as he saw a lone crank ahead of them. It's eyes were black as coal and it had dark blood dripping from its chin. It twitched where it was standing and lurched towards the truck.

"Just go around it, Fry." Gally said, a bit nervously.

"Pfft. Remember what happened last time when you and Newt told me to go around it?" FryPan exclaimed. It suddenly became very quiet in the truck at the mention of Newt. Frypan gulped and pressed down on the gas, giving the crank a wide berth. As they passed by, Thomas glared at it, becoming absorbed in its black, dead eyes…

 _"I'm…I'm sorry Tommy." Thomas looked up at Newt horrified._ No! _Thomas thought._ You have nothing to apologize for. _For some reason he couldn't get it out though._

_"It's ok Newt. It's alright." Thomas said, patting Newts black veined hands that was clutching his jacket. In almost slow motion, Thomas watched Newt reach down and grab his gun, raising it to his head. He could see in Newts eyes that he was moments away from pulling the trigger. A wave of shock and terror tore through Thomas as he reacted quickly. He knocked the gun from Newts hand and it skittered away._

_"No Newt! Just hold on. Hold on a little longer. Please." Thomas begged him. Newts only response was a growl as the flare took over him again…_

Thomas was jolted awake by Minho shaking his shoulder vigorously. Thomas wiped the tears from his cheeks. _It was just a dream. Except it wasn't. That had happened. Newt is dead._

"What happened?" Thomas asked, immediately becoming alert.

With a confused frown on his face, Gally held up the radio.

"I…I think we got something."

______________________________________________

Newt squinted at the radio in his hand. He gave a silent prayer as he flicked it on. The light flashed green. _Thank goodness._ Newt thought. Even though he doubted anyone would be active on any of the channels, it at least had batteries.

He clipped the radio to his belt and grabbed his crutch. He grimaced as he heaved himself up and looked to the front of the store. The glass door was completely shattered, letting the orangey pink rays from the sunset in. Newt let his head fall back with a sigh.

"Right then. Time to find a secure place to hole up for the night." Newt mumbled to himself. Grabbing a backpack he found, he loaded it with as many supplies he could fit in. Swinging it over his right shoulder, he limped over to the door and peaked his head out. A shriek from a ways away made him jump. Newt rested his hand over his heart. It was a ways away.

Newt squinted his chocolate eyes and scanned the buildings across the street from him. Most of them were just piles of rubble, but a few still had foundations. A pub stood across the street, a few houses down. He could make it.

Newt stepped out from the store and whipped his head around. No cranks in sight. Taking a deep breath a hurriedly limped across the street.

 _Alright, I'm halfway there. That's progress. If Thomas were here, he'd be practically dragging me across._ Newt couldn't help think with a smile. A growl from his right side made Newt turn. A female crank was about 50ft away, eyes fixated on him. _Shit._

Without hesitating another moment, Newt picked up his pace and hurried to the pub. It was but 30ft away. He could make it. Behind him, he heard the thudding footsteps and shrieks of the crank. Newt knew it was closing in on him. _Almost there. I really hope the door is unlocked._ Newt knew that if the door happened to be locked, he was dead. No question.

Newt reached for the handle and…it turned. Newt pushed it open and once inside, turned and immediately slammed it shut behind him, turning the dead bolt. The crank slammed against the wood door the second the door was locked, the vibrations, sending Newt sprawling to the floor.

His head cracked on the floor, sending him spiraling into unconsciousness.

_"Newt, you good?" Newt looked over to Thomas, who sat only a foot or so away from him. The orange shadow from the campfire flickered on his face. Newt nodded._

_"I'm alright Tommy. It's just I can't help but have a bad feeling about this whole 'stealing WCKDs train car' plan. So many things could go wrong with your part, ya know? I mean what if you fall off of the train?" Explained Newt to Thomas beside him._

_A frown crossed Newts face as he saw a grin cross Thomas's face._

_"What," He asked._

_"Newt, if you're about to suggest that you should be the one to be with Vince on the train, you're crazy." Thomas said. Newt started to interrupt, but Thomas held up his finger._

_"Newt, if you think I'm going to let you run across the top of a train with your limp, you've got something else coming." Said Thomas, a smirk crossing his face._

_Newt placed his hand on his chest in mock offence._

_"Are you saying I'm slow, Tommy?" Newt asked, eyebrows raised, a smile on his words. Thomas grinned at Newt and shoved him with is shoulder._

_"You know that's not what I'm saying, Newt. We're gonna get the train car, and find Minho, alright?"_

_Newt gave a small smile and nodded. "If you say so."_

__________________________________________________________

Thomas sat up in the truck and pursed his lips.

"What do you mean? You have a signal from someone?" He asked.

Gally nodded while he fiddled with the radio some more.

"Yeah, there's definitely another radio on this channel, but I can't hear anything." He said, looking confused.

Minho shrugged and slumped down in his seat. "Probably just a radio that got left on after the burning of the city." He said.

Thomas shook his head. "No I don't think so. The battery would have run out by then if it was left on all this time." He saw Frypan nod in agreement out of his peripheral vision. Thomas saw Gally hold the radio up to his ear with his signature look of distress.

"Guys…guys!" He yelled. He turned up the volume and held up the radio. From the radio came a muffled, static, soft British accent.

_"…then, time to fi…place to hole up for…night."_

Frypan slammed on the brakes, sending the boys flying forward. Thomas' heart leaped in his throat. There was no mistaking that voice. It was him. It had to be him. Minho turned to look at Thomas, who's jaw was on the floor, gasping for air. Minho lunged over to him and rubbed his back.

"Breath Thomas, breath. If that's really him, we'll find him. He sounded alright, ok? We'll find him." Minho repeated over and over. Thomas shook his head and ran his hands over his face, close to tears.

"No, it's…it's not possible. I saw him die. I saw him stab himself with that knife!" Thomas cried. So many thoughts were going though his head.

_Could Newt really be alive? How would that be possible? Is he in danger? I need to find him if he's really out there._

The sound of more static broke through his thoughts. A shriek came through the radio, seemingly belonging to a crank. _"Shit!"_ came through the speakers. Thomas' eyes widened. It was obvious what the situation was. Whoever it was, Newt or not, was in danger.

Frypan floored it and the truck lurched forward, sand blowing up from the tires.

Gally frantically yelled into the radio, trying to get the attention of the person on the other end.

"Newt? Newt! Is that you?!" He kept on repeating into the radio, hoping that the boy would be able to hear him. There was no answer, just the sound of panicked, labored breathing, footsteps, and the growls of the crank.

Thomas leaned forward, desperately trying to catch every sound that emitted from that radio. There was the sound of a door slamming, then the clattering sound as the radio apparently hit the ground, then silence.

Thomas' heart beat so loud that he was sure Minho could hear it. Sure, there were no more sounds from the crank, but that could mean anything. Why was the radio dropped? Thomas wasn't sure he wanted to find out.

When Newt finally came to, all he felt was pain. With a grunt of discomfort, he reached his arm around to the back of his head and felt around for the gash that was sure to be there. He winced as he felt the sting of the cut. He brought his hand back in front of his face and it was dripping with blood.

"Another injury to add to my ever expanding list. Terrific." He muttered.

"Tommy'll have a fit when he sees me like this," Newt chuckled dryly. He couldn't help the next thoughts that popped into his head.

_What if I never find him and the rest of my family? What if I'm stuck out here in this abandoned city until I die? Well I guess it might not be too long until I die anyway, considering the circumstances._

Newt shook his head to clear his mind of the thoughts. Bad idea.

"Augh." He groaned, clutching his head as the world spun around him.

_Yeah probably not the best idea to shake my head after I have a possible concussion and serious blood loss. Get it together Newt._

He lowered his hands back to his side and felt the radio. A flicker of hope zapped through him. Newt slowly sat up and shifted himself so his back was up against the bar counter. He glared at his throbbing left leg and scanned the room around him. Broken glass bottles littered the floor along with a couple overturned stools. A saw a puddle of blood, evidently where his head had just been.

"Damn."

Newt grabbed the radio and saw that it was already switched to the frequency that Thomas had decided to always use. He pressed down the button so he could hear if anyone was possibly on this frequency and said,

"Hello? Is anybody out there? I'm injured and in need of medical care." He paused and listened for a response.

_Static. "Newt? Newt!? Is that you? Are you there?"_

Newt froze. He would recognize that voice anywhere. With shaking hands he held the radio up to his mouth.

"T…Tommy?"


	3. A Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Don't make promises you can't keep, Tommy"  
> "I'm gonna keep this one Newt."

Thomas groaned as he shifted in his seat. His head was leaning up against the window and his legs were lying across Minho's.

He blinked and rubbed his eyes.

"How long has it been since we've heard the voice?" he asked. Frypan glanced at Thomas in the review mirror and shrugged.

"I think we've been driving for about an hour or two, so probably that long…?" came the answer from Frypan, who looked over to Gally for conformation. The older boy nodded slightly. His eyes were half closed as he struggled to stay awake in case any new words came through the radio. Minho noticed and patted him on the shoulder.

"Take a rest Gally, it's alright. Thomas and I can man the radio." He said, reaching for the device. Gally handed Minho the device reluctantly and laid his head against the window. Within a few moments, he was out like a light. Minho settled the radio on his lap and held the speaker to his ear. He looked over at Thomas and gave a small smile, trying to lighten the mood. In turn, Thomas just tensed up and looked down at his hands. Minho sighed at the boys response and focused back on the static that emitted from the radio.

 _"Another injury…add…list…terrific."_ Miho's eyes widened as the same British accent came roughly through the radio. Thomas bolted up and leaned in to hear.

 **"** Newt? Is that you?" Yelled Thomas into the radio, struggling to grab it from Minho.

All the yelling woke Gally up and he sat up, now interested. He frowned at Thomas, who kept yelling "Newt!" into the radio.

"Hey…hey!" he roared. Thomas looked up at him, eyes wide.

"Listen, Newt or whoever it is, won't be able to hear you if he doesn't press the button on _his_ side so he can actually hear _us._ Alright? So there's nothing we can do." He said, fist clenched on his seat.

Thomas didn't like that answer though. "Didn't you hear what he said? He's _hurt._ I can't have that." He exclaimed.

Gally nodded and rubbed his hand through his short spikey hair. "I know, Thomas. I heard. We can't..." He was cut off by more words coming through the radio.

_"Tommy'll have a fit…sees me like this."_

Thomas' heart dropped. Granted, Thomas would normally have a fit if Newt even got a scratch, but if Newt was admitting that he was hurt, it must be pretty bad.

"Damn it. Drive faster Fry! We have to get to the city." Thomas breathed out, heart nearly pounding out of his chest.

"I'm going as fast as I can Thomas," Frypan said assuringly.

Thomas' leg bounced up and down as he bit his lip, a nervous habit. A tiny smile crossed his face as he remembered when Newt pointed out his bad habit…

_Thomas' eyes nervously darted around him and landed on Newt, who was next to him, a smirk on his face._

_"You alright Tommy?" Newt grinned._

_Thomas ignored him to scoot past the snarky comment that was sure to follow. His leg started bouncing up and down, which Newt noticed. He snorted and rested his chin in the palm of his hand._

_Thomas could feel Newt's eyes boring into him and sighed._

_"What is it Newt?" He asked, an annoyed edge to his tone._

_"Tommy, you don't have to pretend that you're not afraid. I know you're nervous, and it's ok." He said._

_Thomas frowned and bit his lip, his leg bouncing even more._

_"I'm not scared Newt, why would you say that?" Thomas said._

_Newt gave a sincere smile. "Thomas, you're scared that we're not gonna pull off this train heist and that we're gonna loose Minho. I'll admit, that I didn't have much faith in the plan myself, but it's not all bad. It'll work Tommy."_

_Thomas looked at Newt, surprised by how well his best friend could read him._

_"Well I guess I can't deny it anymore, now that you've exposed by deepest and darkest secret." Thomas laughed a little bit._

_Newt nodded and looked back down at his hands._

_"So how'd you know?" Thomas asked._

_Newt looked up with a smirk on his face._

_"Believe me Tommy, I'm not that special. You wear your heart on your sleeve. Plus, you have a dead giveaway." Newt pointed to Thomas' leg, which slowed its bouncing._

_Thomas raised his eyebrows and chuckled wryly. "I guess we both have a bad leg then." He said._

_Newt rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Sure Tommy, sure we do."_

Thomas smiled as he brushed away the happy memory.

 _"Hello? Is anybody out there? I'm injured…of medical care."_ Thomas' heart skipped a few beats as he heard his best friend's voice. There was no doubt in his mind. That was Newt. Thomas fumbled with the radio and he struggled to press the correct button.

"Newt? Newt!? Is that you? Are you there?"

_"T…Tommy?"_

Newts heart beat frantically and he straightened up. There was no way. Thomas was on the other end of the radio.

_"Yes! Newt it's me! And Fry, G… and Mi…o! We're gonna find you Newt, I promise. Can…us…where…are?"_

Newt's shaking hand brought the radio up to his mouth.

"I'm in a pub in the city. About a mile from where…where I turned. Please hurry Tommy, there's cranks outside and I'm afraid they're gonna break in. I'm injured and I can't fight. I'm afraid that if they break in, I'm…I'm not gonna make it."

Newt jumped as a loud **_SLAM_** sounded at the wood door to the pub.

_"Ok…ok I think I know where that is. We're gonna find you I promise Newt. I promise."_

Tears filled Newts eyes as he heard that. He leaned against the wall behind him.

"Don't make promises that you might not be able to keep Thomas." Newt whispered brokenly. He could almost hear Thomas clench his jaw through the radio.

_"I'm gonna keep this promise Newt."_

___________________________________________________

"I'm gonna keep this promise, Newt." Thomas insisted to his best friend on the other end. It was true, Thomas had to. They had been through so much together and now they were so close to being together again. Nothing was gonna stop Thomas from getting to Newt.

Frypan pressed down harder on the gas pedal, if that was even possible. Thomas drummed his fingers on his knee and held up the radio again.

"Newt, you still there?" He asked nervously.

 _"Yeah."_ Came the answer laced with pain.

"You doin ok, bud?" Thomas asked, glancing over to Minho, who leaned in to hear the answer.

_"I'm alright. But listen Tommy, I…radio…" Came the static, broken answer._

Thomas frowned and looked over to Minho in case he had heard something that Thomas hadn't. Minho shook his head.

"Hey, Newt we're gonna need you to repeat that, it didn't come through very well." Thomas waited for a few minutes.

 _"I'm gonna turn off the radio to save battery. Just…please hurry Tommy."_ Came the soft reply.

Thomas immediately had a bad feeling about being out of contact with Newt, but he knew that they should conserve battery.

"Ok, but you call us if _anything_ happens, alright Newt?" Asked Thomas.

He heard a chuckle come through the radio. _"Will do."_

Thomas' mouth hardened into a line as he switched off their radio. The empty feeling in his chest returned the moment they lost contact with Newt.

"Guys, I can see the city!" Frypan exclaimed as he steered the truck around a rock outcropping. Sure enough, there it was. The last city. An unsettling feeling entered Thomas' gut as they drew closer to the city looming over them. He never had wanted to come back here. He'd never wanted to enter the walls where he had lost Newt. But now, he had a reason to go back. He had all the reason in the world.

As they drew closer to the city, they could start to hear the shrieks of cranks reeking havoc in the city, or whatever was left of it. Gally and Minho rolled down their windows and set up their guns pointing to the outside, just in case. Frypan slowed down a tad as they entered the walls.

"Alright, does anyone know where to go?" He asked. Thomas sat up and leaned forward. He knew exactly where to go. He would never forget the exact spot where Newt died. _Where I killed him_. Thomas thought. He remembered the absolute shock that coursed through him when he saw the dagger protruding from Newt's chest. The denial came next. He couldn't be dead. There were so many times that Newt should've died, but he never did. This couldn't be it.

Thomas tried to climb out of his spiraling train of thoughts, but he couldn't help remember the time where he was sure Newt was dead.

_"Tommy loves trains, don't you mate?" Thomas tried to ignore the jab, but he couldn't help crack a grin._

_"Well you're gonna be seeing another one real soon!" Gally yelled as he began sprinting down the tracks. Thomas shared a nervous look with Newt, and soon they both took off after him._

_Thomas was a fast runner, but most of all had endurance. He could easily catch up to Gally, but he was more worried about Newt and wanted to trail slightly behind him, in case anything happened. Thomas admired how Newt was keeping up, even with his bad leg. It didn't last long, however. Soon, Newts limp became more and more noticeable, and Thomas could hear some grunts of pain come from the older boy as they continued down the track._

_"Come on Newt, we gotta keep going, we're almost there!" Thomas said encouragingly._

_"I'm…bloody…inspired now." Newt managed to get out. Thomas grinned at the blond boy and picked up his pace. His thought process was that he could get to the exit first, so he could help Gally pull Newt in. Then, a rumble shook the tracks. The train was coming. The bright light from the headlight blasted around a corner a way ahead._

_Thomas watched as Gally reached the exit and soon, Thomas was next to him. They pulled the grate off the exit, but Thomas nearly dropped it as he heard a cry of pain. He wheeled around and saw that Newt had fallen. His leg must've given out._

_"Newt!" Thomas screamed, as he rushed toward his friend, not caring that the train was nearly upon them. He felt Gally reach for him, but nothing was stopping Thomas. He reached Newt and knelt in front of him, trying to tear his eyes away from the fear in Newts chocolate brown ones. As the train barreled towards them, Thomas knew he only had one option, and he didn't even know if it would work._

_Thomas knelt on top of Newt and shoved them both to the ground. Seconds, later the train was rushing over them. The ground shook as the train crossed over them. Thomas' face was buried into Newts shoulder, and he clutched the older boys jacket partially in fear, and partially to keep them both in place. As soon as the train had come, it was gone._

_Thomas didn't move, mostly out of fear. He only lifted his head up when he heard a soft voice from underneath him_

_"Tommy? Are you alright?" Thomas breathed a sigh of relief and sat up, dragging Newt up with him into a bone crushing hug._

_"Am I alright? Of course I am, Newt. I was more worried about you." Thomas breathed out, clutching Newt closely to him. He couldn't help but want to linger in the hug, and the scent of strawberry ice-cream that his friend seemed to always give off. Unfortunately, poor Thomas didn't get his wish._

_Newt broke away from the hug, an angry look on his face._

_"You're a bloody idiot, you know that? Why on earth would you do that? You could've died!" He cried out, seemingly angry. He didn't notice that even though he had broken away from the hug, his right hand was still clutching Thomas' jacket._

_Thomas' jaw dropped. "I couldn't just let you die, now could I?" He fired back, appalled that Newt couldn't just say 'thank you' and be done with it._

_"Self-sacrificing as always." Newt muttered. Thomas raised his eyebrows at the blond boy, about to make an angry retort cause he was still salty that their hug had been cut short, but he was interrupted by Gally._

_"Would you two please stop bickering like an old married couple? We all know Thomas has a self-sacrificing personality disorder." He said, directed at Newt. He turned to Thomas._

_"I also know that Newt if very thankful that you saved him, but you also probably scared him half to death. So, I suggest that Newt says 'thank you' and gives Thomas another hug, because you're obviously mad that you two got cut short." Gally said to Thomas, whose face was bright red._

_Gally then stalked off and disappeared through the grate. Newt gave a dramatic sigh and turned to Thomas._

_"Thank you Tommy, really I mean it. I just wish you would stop and think of the consequences of your actions sometimes. That's all." He said._

_Thomas nodded and shuffled his feet around for a moment in awkward silence. Newt nodded with his head over to the grate and gave a smile. "Let's go save the world, eh?" He said._

_Thomas trailed behind the limping Newt and couldn't help think of the hug that he didn't get._

Even though all that remained of the city were piles of rubber, Thomas could still make out where Newt had stabbed himself. Frypan slowed the truck down, per Thomas' request and it came to a stop. Thomas leapt out of the truck and made his way through the recently disturbed rubble to a small area where it was clear that Newt had been buried.

The glint of metal caught Thomas' eye and he bent down and he picked it up. The second he registered what it was, he dropped it in horror. It was the blood encrusted dagger that had killed his best friend. A bit shaken up, Thomas ran back to the truck and settled back in his seat, a disturbed look on his face.

"Thomas, what did you see?" Asked Minho. Thomas just ignored the subject and Frypan started up the vehicle. "Alright, so Newt said he was in a pub about one or two miles from where he turned, right?" Asked Frypan. Thomas nodded and then shushed them all. A shriek reverberated through the air along with a big **_BAM._** The four boys glanced at each other.

"Follow it." 

__________________________________________

Newt placed the radio down beside him, praying that the battery would still be alive if he had to contact Thomas and the rest. Every few seconds there was a growl and a resounding **_SLAM_** on the wood door to the pub. Newt knew that his only chance was if the door held long enough for Thomas to reach him.

Newt slammed his fist against the floor. He hated not being in control. One of his biggest insecurities was being useless. And right now, that was exactly what he was. Absolutely and utterly useless. A wave of nausea passed through him and he raised his hand to gingerly tough the gash on his head. There was still a steady trickle of blood running through his hair and down his neck.

"Bloody hell, I knew head wounds bled a lot, but this much can't be right." He groaned. He pursed his lips as his head started pounding. Newt clenched his eyes shut and pressed his hands against his temples, massaging them. The throbbing became so bad that Newt felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. As much as he tried to resist, he couldn't help himself. He slid down to the floor and into the darkness.

________________________________________

"Come on, come on." Thomas repeated over and over like a prayer. Going was slow, considering the city had been all but blown up.

"Over there!" Thomas heard Gally shout. He looked to where the older boy was pointing, and he saw a crooked sign labeled 'the last city pub.' Sure enough, he crank was clawing at the wood door, but once it heard the truck, it's head snapped to face them.

Gally opened his door and positioned his gun at the crank. He slipped the silencer on the barrel as to not attract anymore creatures and slid the scope on. He peered through it and aimed directly at the cranks brain. However, the second he fired, the crank lurched to the right and lumbered towards them.

"Damn it." Gally cursed as he repositioned his gun toward the now moving target.

"Shoot it, Gally!" yelled Thomas.

"I'm trying!" Retorted the older boy. "A little silence would really help!" He aimed and fired a second time and this try, it connected, sending the crank to the ground, dead.

The moment the crank hit the ground, Thomas sprinted towards the pub. He reached the door and twisted the knob, willing it to open. However it was locked. Of course it was. Newt wasn't stupid enough to leave it unlocked.

"Newt! We're here, you gotta unlock the door!" He yelled, pounding on the door.

The only reply was silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Aaaaand there's chapter 3! We all love cliffhanger endings...right? There'll be one more chapter after this one. Let me know what you guys think in the comments :)


	4. a happy ending?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! This chapter has mentions of suicide relating to how Newt got his broken leg. If that's something you don't want to read, skip the flashback section that is in italics.

Thomas rammed into the door of the pub and slammed his hand against it.

"Newt!? You gotta open the door, it's locked!" He yelled, cupping his hands against his mouth. He pressed his ear to the door, desperately trying to hear if Newt responded. There was just silence. A few seconds later, Gally, Minho and Frypan were beside Thomas.

"He's not answering," Thomas breathed out to the boys. His heart was pounding frantically and he was afraid that he was gonna throw up. He honestly didn't know what his reaction was going to be when he saw Newt.

"Thomas, we have to get him out, now." Minho said intently. Thomas frowned in confusion. His unspoken confusion was quickly answered by the howls of cranks that swarmed towards them.

"Minho, Gally, cover Fry and me. We're gonna get this door open, alright?" The boys nodded, thankful that Thomas was once again stepping up to his leadership role. Thomas watched for a second as Minho and Gally ran to the truck to get more ammo, then he turned to Frypan.

"Ready?" Thomas asked. Frypan nodded.

"Alright, on three. One…two…three!" Thomas and Frypan rammed their shoulders into the door and it gave a bit with a resounding **_CRACK!_** Thomas nodded and jumped a bit to get himself pumped up.  
"One more time, Fry, we got this." Thomas said. Frypan nodded, while messaging his shoulder. "We got this." He said.

Thomas took a deep breath. This was for Newt. All of this was for Newt.

"One…two…three!" This time, the door gave away and swung open. Thomas stepped in the pub and time seemed to slow down as he took in the sight of the crumpled form in front of him. Newt was curled on the floor, streaks of blood everywhere and his eyes were closed. That simple last fact hit Thomas in the chest like a ton of bricks.

"No." He whispered. Without another thought, he sprinted to Newt and knelt beside him.

"Newt? Please open your eyes. I'm here, your Tommy is here. We're gonna bring you to the safe haven, ok? Just please be alright." He pleaded, frantically wiping Newt's blond locks out of his face.

Frypan waited awkwardly to the side, knowing that he needed to step in so they could carry Newt back to the truck.

"Thomas, let me help you carry him." He offered, stepping forward.

Thomas snapped his neck toward Frypan.

"No, I can do it, just get the truck started. Please?" He asked. Frypan nodded reluctantly and made his way out of the pub.

Thomas turned his attention back to Newt and to his utter shock, a pair of huge chocolate brown eyes were looking back at him. Thomas watched as a smirk covered Newts face and he raised an eyebrow.

"So you're my Tommy now?" Newt asked good-naturedly.

Thomas breathed a sigh of relief, ignoring Newts statement. He gently grasped Newts shoulders and was about to bring him up into a hug.

"I mean you're not really wrong," Newt continued, with a thoughtful look on his face. He grimaced as he felt himself being pulled up. Thomas noticed the look and stopped immediately, regret washing over him.

"I…I'm sorry, I'm just so glad that you're alright. Actually 'glad' is a bit of an understatement." Thomas said, hand still clutching Newts shoulder. Newt shook his head and chuckled.

"It's not that. It's just my leg. I broke it again." A look of understanding crossed Thomas' face and he nodded.

Both boys jumped as the horn from the truck sounded, signifying that they should get going. Thomas turned to Newt, realizing that his hand had moved in front of Newts chest when the horn had sounded. Thomas felt his face turn a bit red and he glanced up at Newt, whose face was a slight shade of pink. _Did Newt just blush?_ Thomas thought. He shook the thought away and cleared his throat.

"We have to get going, and I'm gonna carry you." Said Thomas. Newt frowned, although on the inside he wasn't exactly opposed to the idea.

"I can walk by myself thank you very much," He said indignantly. Thomas rolled his eyes and swept the blond boy up into his arms with ease. A shock went through him when he noticed how light Newt was. He wondered when the last time was that he had any food.

Thomas turned to Newt, who was pouting, trying to give off the vibe that he didn't like being carried bridal style. Newt felt a wave of dizziness pass through him at being in an upright position so quickly. Black dots swarmed in front of his vision and he figured a little sleep wouldn't hurt. However, he didn't take into account how much a little beauty sleep would freak out Thomas.

Thomas noticed the moment that Newt closed his eyes and he flipped out, walking even faster to the truck, trying not to jostle his precious load. He felt a wet liquid soak through his jacket, right where Newts head was. He didn't need to see it to know that it was blood.

His whole being seemed to move in slow motion as he ran to the truck, not even noticing the cranks being shot dead around him by Gally and Minho. He vaguely heard Frypan calling his name and motioning for Minho and Gally to come back. Thomas' attention was only on Newt though. After what seemed like eternity, Thomas reached the truck and let go of Newt with one hand to open the door. He shoved Newt into the truck and clambered in after him, followed by Minho. Gally appeared in the passengers seat up front and screamed at Frypan to drive. That's exactly what he did. He bowled into cranks and sped out of the city. They had made it. All they had to do was get to the safe haven and get Newt safe.

Newt opened his eyes a crack and saw that he was in a truck. A feeling of safety that he hadn't felt in a while was surrounding him. He didn't say anything, not wanting to cause a commotion. He saw that his leg was propped up on the middle block in between the front seats. His body was leaning against something…or someone. Newt moved his head just enough to see that he was leaning against Thomas, with his head on his shoulder.

Newt had been longing for this moment for so long. When he would finally be back with his family. This was it. Newts face scrunched up and he clenched his eyes shut, trying his best not to cry. He never cried, but this situation seemed to warrant it. He let a few tears slip down his cheek and he let out a shuddering breath. He froze as he felt Thomas' arm wrap around him and pull him a tad closer. After a moment, Newt embraced the feeling and closed his eyes, falling asleep to get away from the physical pain.

Thomas knew that he could've leaned Newt up against the window and saved himself a sore shoulder, but at the moment, Thomas wouldn't have it any other way. He lay his head back against the head rest and wondered when Newt would be awake. _Maybe he won't wake up._ Thomas drew in a sharp breath at the thought. _Maybe I found him for nothing and I'll never see him alive again._ Thomas bit his lip and shook his head. He knew his thoughts were being ridiculous, but he couldn't help the dark thoughts.

He slowly wrapped his arm around Newts shoulder and settled the blond boy into himself a bit more. It was just for logistical reasons, and to be more comfortable, Thomas told himself. He closed his eyes, taking a page from Newts book, and tried his very best to fall asleep.

He thought of Newts injuries. He most certainly had a concussion. _What if he won't be the same person? What if he won't remember me?_ And there was Newt's leg. The same leg that Newt had already broken. His limp would be even more pronounced now. Thomas shuddered and thought of when Newt first told him how he had acquired the limp.

_"I've never told you about my leg, have I?" Newt asked. Thomas looked up at the boy and shook his head. He had been curious about the limp since he had first met the mysterious British boy. Thomas took a few steps forward and sat next to Newt, legs dangling over the edge of the building._

_"I had just come up from the box, like everyone else. I was terrified. I felt like I had no meaning to my life, you know? I couldn't remember anything so I just didn't think there was a reason for me to be alive."_

_Thomas' eyes widened and he swallowed. He had a bad feeling as to where this story was going._

_"So one day I woke up early and snuck into the maze. I climbed up one of those bloody walls…and I jumped off of it. Of course I got caught up in all the vines on the way down. Snapped by leg in three places. I thought my time had come, and I instantly regretted my decision. There was nothing I could do. I knew the maze would close soon and I would die. That's when Alby found me. He brought me back to the glade and he never told anyone what had happened. So you're the only one that knows now." Newt finished and looked over to Thomas. His eyes widened as he saw a few tears slipping down Thomas' cheeks._

_"Tommy…?" Newt asked uncertainly. Thomas looked up at Newt, with red-rimmed eyes._

_"You…you've never thought of doing anything like that since…right?" He asked. Thomas felt his heartbeat speed up at Newts hesitation. He felt the sudden urge to pull Newt back from the edge of the roof._

_"When Alby took me back to the glade and made me second in command, I realized that I had a place in the glade. I had a role to play, to be a leader. For the first time, I felt needed. Well, for the first time that I remembered. Then when you came up from the box, I had even more of a reason to live. You were so passionate about finding a way out, that I actually believed you. I knew that I would follow you anywhere. You became the best leader that any of us at the glade had ever seen." Newt trailed off, and looked at his hands. Thomas could tell that he was wondering if he had shared too much._

_"So to answer your question Tommy, no. I haven't tried anything like that again."_

_"Good that," Thomas whispered. However, he felt a knot in his stomach. He couldn't help realize that Newt said that he hadn't_ _**tried** _ _anything like that again. He never said that he hadn't_ _**thought** _ _about it. Thomas decided to let Newt keep that bit of information to himself._

_"Please talk to me Newt, if you have any thoughts like that ever again." He said._

_Newt nodded, much to his relief._

_"I will, Tommy. I promise."_

Thomas pressed his free hand against his mouth, to quiet down his sobs. He let tears run freely down his face and he pressed his face into Newt's soft hair, inhaling the scent of strawberry ice cream. That day he hadn't only been told about Newts limp, he also learned about his best friend being infected with the flare. The days that followed had been some of the worst of his life. Thomas took a deep breath, and tried to direct his thoughts in better directions. They were going to get Newt to the safe haven and get him healed up. Hopefully, the days following that, would be some of the best of his life. They would be alright. In Newts words, 'they all had each other, because they were all in this together.

_______________________________________________--

Thomas tried to still his bouncing leg, but to no avail. They were back in the safe haven and Thomas had spent the last two days in a hard chair by Newts bed, waiting for him to wake up.

Thomas couldn't help grimace every time he saw the cast on Newts leg and the bandage on his head. He felt overwhelming guilt, knowing that he had left Newt behind. _I LEFT HIM BEHIND!_ Thomas' mind screamed at him. Thomas ran his hands over his face and looked up at Harriet, who had been taking care of the injured blond boy.

"Are you sure it's normal for Newt to be asleep for this long? I mean come on, this can't be right. Is he ok?" Thomas asked, not trying to keep the desperation out of his voice. Harriet gave him the side eye and sighed.

"Thomas, he went through a lot of trauma. His body needs time to heal. To answer your question, yes, he'll be good as new." She turned away and focused her attention on changing the bandage on her patients head.

"Yeah, 'cept his limp will be worse." Thomas muttered. He glanced over and saw Newt flinch in his sleep while Harriet cleaned his head wound. Thomas' sleep deprived self couldn't help his mouth as he yelled, "Careful!"

Harriet stopped her gentle wiping and turned to Thomas, an irritated look on her face.

"You need to leave." Thomas' eyes widened at the girls words.

"Wh…what?" Thomas stuttered, genuinely shocked at the idea that he would have to leave his best friend.

"Thomas, you've been here for _two_ days. You haven't slept, barely eaten and you need your own wounds cleaned. So yes, you need to leave." Harriet said sternly.

"But what if he wakes up, he'll need me!" Thomas argued, crossing his arms.

"I'll come get you if he wakes up. Also, you're not going to do him any good if you're asleep on your feet." She said, a slight smirk on her face. Thomas played into her point perfectly by stumbling a bit and having to lean against the wall of the hut. Harriet raised her eyebrows at Thomas.

"Go."

Thomas shuffled his way out of the hut and two the showers. After he cleaned himself satisfactorily, he picked up a ham and cheese sandwich from frypan and devoured it, sitting on his bed. Once he finished, he collapsed into his bed and immediately fell asleep.

Even though he was away from Newt physically, he still appeared in his dreams.

" _Tommy, kill me, please!" Thomas looked down at Newt in horror at what his best friend had just said._

_"No Newt, just…just hang on a little longer. The serum's coming I promise!" Thomas gasped, tears streaming down his face. He grimaced as he watched Newt on his knees, coughing roughly. Newt slammed his fist on the ground._

_"If you've ever been my friend, kill me Thomas!" Newt turned his head to face Thomas, with an angry look on his face. Thomas could see that Newt's eyes had glazed over again to the horrible black color. The virus had taken over him again. Newt growled and lunged at Thomas, who stumbled backwards._

_Thomas dodged the knife that Newt was slashing at him repeatedly. He hurried backwards, refusing to fight his friend. Newt stabbed the knife towards Thomas, who hit his hand away. Thomas looked into Newts eyes and saw them clear for a split second. He watched Newts arm move towards his own chest and gasped. Thomas grabbed Newt's shoulders, trying to comprehend what had just taken place. He looked down at Newts chest and saw his hand sliding away from the dagger that was protruding from Newts chest._

_"No," Thomas whispered. His lips quivered and he caught Newt as he tipped forward into Thomas' arms._

_"T…Tommy." Newt gurgled. Thomas sobbed as he grasped the material of Newts jacket. This wasn't the hug he had wanted. As gently as he could, Thomas lowered Newt to the ground and laid his head on his best friends chest. Desperately, he tried to feel for the rising and falling of Newts chest. But there was nothing there._

Thomas shot upwards on his best, sobs tearing through his chest. He tried to calm his breathing and placed his hand on his own chest.

"Newt's fine. He's here." Thomas whispered to himself. He swung his legs over the bed and picked at his lips, his leg resuming its bouncing. He didn't know how long it had been since he had left Newt in the medical shack. Thomas figured that Harriet wouldn't let him back in unless it had been two hours or more.

"I don't care." Thomas muttered. He leapt up from his bed, on a mission to see Newt.

___________________________________________________

Newt opened his eyes and blinked in the sunlight. All the events from the past few days rushed into his head and he looked around. A blurry figure had their back facing him. A spark of excitement flew through Newt.

"Thomas?" He asked. The figure turned to face him and came into focus as Newt blinked the sleep out of his eyes.

"Not quite." Said the person, a small smile on her face. Newts face lit up.

"Harriet!" He grinned up at her. Harriet laughed and squeezed the doe eyed boy's shoulder.

"I would love to stay and catch up, but I made a promise. You're gonna have a visitor in a few minutes." Harriet said, wiggling her eyebrows. Newt blushed and his mind immediately went to Thomas. He wondered where his friend was. Not that he was obliged to be by his side all the time, but still.

"I'll be right back." Harriet said. "Don't go anywhere."

Newt watched Harriet leave and immediately wanted to do what she had told him not to do. His gaze landed on a pair of crutches leaning against his bed.

"Those'll do."

___________________________________________________

Thomas sprinted towards the medical shack, he couldn't wait any longer to see Newt. He ignored the weird look he got from a few of the people working in the gardens that he passed by. While Thomas was running, he hoped with all his being that Newt would be awake. There was so much he needed to tell him. He wanted to apologize for everything. For abandoning him in the Last City, for not being able to cure him from the flare sooner. He wanted to show him around the safe haven. Thomas new that Newt would love it here. He would love the ocean and the warm sand and the people. Thomas wanted to take him on long walks to the cliffs and sit on the top of them, just looking down on the ocean. He wanted to lay down on the sand and gaze up at the stars with Newt and point out their favorite stars.

Thomas vaguely heard someone calling his name as he ran down the shore, but he ignored it. He frowned as he realized that it sounded like Harriet. Could it have something to do with Newt? The thought made Thomas run even faster. He took the steps up the medical shack two at a time and entered the room. He froze as his eyes moved around the room. It was empty. Newt was nowhere to be seen. Thomas panicked and almost teared the place apart looking for any sign that Newt had been there.

Without his permission, Thomas' mind went to the worst scenario. Had Newt died in his sleep and been taken away already? Is that why Harriet was coming to find him? Or had Newt never been there and saving him was all a dream? Thomas collapsed onto the bed, feeling completely drained of all his energy. Thomas picked up the pillow that was on the bed and buried his face in it. He had no more tears left, he just felt empty now. But then, he felt overwhelmed by the familiar scent on the pillow. _Strawberry._

"What the hell?" Thomas looked up and saw Harriet standing in the doorway, out of breath.

"Where's Newt?" Thomas asked, shooting up from the bed, while still clutching the pillow. He glared at Harriet as she glanced around the room.

"Uhm…well the crutches are gone so he probably just went on a walk." Harriet said, trying to sound nonchalant, but Thomas could hear the nervousness in her voice.

"Oh so do you normally let patients who just woke up from a coma go on a walk?" He asked angrily, voice dripping in sarcasm.

"I told him not to go anywhere while I went to go find _you._ " Harriet explained. She hurried outside and glanced around. Thomas followed her and they decided to split up and look for the rogue patient. Harriet would go right, Thomas would go left.

Thomas made his way down the coastline, looking all around him. Then, he saw a form leaning against a palm tree on the beach. Thomas broke into a fast trot and made his way closer to the form.

"Newt?" He called out, voice filled with hope.

"Tommy?" Newt's head turned to face Thomas with a bright smile on his face. His blond hair was all mussed up from the warm wind outside, but his brown eyes shone with joy.

"Hiya Tommy, come on sit with me." Thomas raised his eyebrows in turn. He had just been freaked to hell, and Newt was just sitting by a tree like he hadn't been in a coma for a few days.

"You slint-head, I've been looking all over for you! You can't just go on a little stroll a few minutes after you've been in a coma for two shucking days! You have to be careful, Newt you could've gotten injured again! You could've at least waited for me! I thought…I though I'd lost you again." Thomas trailed off and looked down at his feet guiltily. He had just gotten Newt back and the first thing he did was yell at him.

He felt a soft hand tug on his own. Thomas looked up and saw that Newt had reached his hand up from where he was sitting and was gently pulling on Thomas' hand.

"Sit Thomas." Newt said. Thomas didn't think twice and he plopped down next to his friend.

Newt took a deep breath and fiddled with his hands. "I'm sorry Tommy, I just felt so claustrophobic in that room. I suppose I just wanted some bloody space, you know? All my life that I've remembered, I've been contained by something. First the maze, then the flare. I needed some time. That's all."

Thomas stared at Newt sympathetically. "I'm sorry too, Newt. I was just so worried, cause I just got you back, ya know?" Thomas said, nudging his friend. Newt nodded and shifted slightly closer to Thomas. The movement jostled his leg and Newt winced, leaning forward and grabbing his leg.

"You ok Newt?" Thomas asked worriedly, grabbing Newts hand without thinking. The blond boy nodded, while squeezing his friends hand.

"I figure my bloody limp's gonna get worse." Newt said, giving Thomas a wry smile. A sad look passed Thomas' face. "I'm sorry." He said.

A thoughtful look passed over Newt's face. "I'm not. I figure it'll always be a reminder of what we've all gone through. Of who we lost. And how we all found each other again. We'll never forget the horrors that we've seen. But I suppose I don't want to." Newt looked over and saw Thomas watching him again, with a strange look on his face. Newt blushed and shook his head.

"Maybe I'm being silly." He said softly. Thomas shook his head vigorously. "No, no. I get it, I really do. There's something I have to show you." Newt tilted his head in curiosity. Thomas jumped up and offered his hand for Newt to get up. Newt leaned against the tree while Thomas grabbed his crutches. The two boys made their way back to the growing civilization.

"So where are we going, Tommy?" Newt asked. Thomas gave Newt a weird look, and Newt saw a few tears glistening in his friends eyes.

"You'll see."

________________________________________________

Newt blinked at what he was seeing. He saw his name carved into the stone along with many others. Seeing his name there cemented the fact that everyone really thought he was dead. He looked over at Thomas, who was shuffling his feet in the sand.

"Oh Thomas." Newt muttered. Thomas unintentionally flinched at his full name. It always seemed wrong when his best friend didn't call him 'Tommy.' Thomas clenched his teeth, mind flashing back to when him and Minho first carved Newts name on the stone. Thomas couldn't hold himself back anymore. All of his emotions raced through him at once and he grabbed Newt and drew him towards him in a hug. Newt folded into the hug and wrapped his arms around his best friend. Thomas buried his face into Newts neck and breathed deeply.

"I'm glad you're back Newt. I'm really, really glad." Thomas whispered, knowing it was the understatement of the century. Newt chuckled and gave Thomas one last squeeze before he broke the hug. "Me too, Tommy. Me too." Both boys sniffed and laughed at the mess they both were.

Thomas nudged Newt and glanced toward the stone. "Let's get your name off of that, shall we?" Newt gave the brightest smile Thomas had ever seen.

"We shall."

**A/N: The End. Thanks for reading this story everyone!**

**-Dove**


End file.
